Big Comfy Couch
by what is needed
Summary: Chaya Puckerman needs a babysitter, and Rachel Berry fits the qualifications. The Puckerman's living room couch has front row seats as the day unfolds between Puck, Chaya and Rachel. Puckleberry, and young!gleeks. enjoy.


**AN: lone one-shot. POV: Puckerman's family couch. you're welcome, I suppose. :)**

**Disclaimer: I wish... **

**Review please.!  
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I remember the first time she sat on me.

If you had no idea who I was, that would be completely dirty.

To clarify, I'm a couch.

A pleasant one, with maybe a few hidden stains, cushions that actually swallow you and an odor that is questionable but is usually covered up by the smell of the flowers that are potted next to me.

She had been twelve, and to this day I can say she hasn't changed.

Chaya Puckerman needed a babysitter, and Mrs. Puckerman knew that the most responsible girls that qualified in taking care of her six year old daughter happened to be her. For Puck, this was a huge pain in the ass for a few reasons. It meant his mother didn't trust him, and that sucked. It technically meant that he had to also spend the day with her, to be polite and whatever, but with all truthfulness, he didn't any other have plans than to stay home.

It was barely six in the morning, yet she had a glow about her as if she had been up for hours and was completely polished. The summer's morning air was breezing in through an open window and was playing with the loose strands of her tightly braided hair.

I heard her quiet, yet forceful, knocks as Sarah rushed about the house to sort out that last few things she might need for work. A twelve hour shift at the hospital, seven to seven, and I could tell it killed her slowly.

The door opened, and the tiny girl entered, a large, pink, wheelie backpack rolled behind her as she entered.

"Good morning, Mrs. Puckerman." She handed a to-go cup to the taller women, and smiled. "My favourite herbal tea, it really perks me up in the morning. Daddy suggested that I bring you some so you aren't as dependent on coffee today."

"You really are an angel."

Passing the foyer she headed into the living room, where I finally got a good look at her. Almost as small as Chaya, but was built with muscle. An paw printed skirt swung just above her knees, and a plain white t-shirt hung loosely on her body. It was adorable how unfashionable she was, but completely understand as the years went on.

She was Rachel Berry, and she sunk into me as Mrs. Puckerman pulled a blanket from a wooden trunk in the room over. She was squeezed in by all sides, and she looked as if I was twenty times too big for her. Pushing herself up, Mrs. Puckerman was laughing lightly.

"Rachel, sweetie, I think the couch just devoured you. But don't worry, its really nice to nap on."

Mrs. Puckerman would know, she constantly comes home and drops herself on top of me, curling up in a deep sleep.

"I didn't plan on napping, Mrs. Puckerman. I've been up for a while and I had planned to-"

"Nonsense. The sun hasn't even rose yet, and it's the first week of your summer."

"I insist, Mrs. Puckerman! I was going to go over some sheet music and a few monologues, than when Chaya woke up, I would-"

Mrs. Puckerman ended up pushing Rachel down into the depths of me, as if I could keep her stuck until she fell asleep.

"Have a great day, darling. And I've told you a million times, call me Sarah."

Rachel didn't say anything as Mrs. Puckerman left promptly afterwards.

She stayed with me, and tugged at the blanket and nodded off to sleep.

000000

"Are you dead?"

Automatically Rachel's eyes flicked open, only to see little Chaya standing over her, her feet standing on my edges. It was an odd view to see the young girl staring obviously and poking at her forehead in order to wake her babysitter, but totally hilarious.

"I don't know, are you?"

Chaya stepped off me, landing loudly on the wooden floor beneath us, and curiously scrunched up her face. Rachel propped herself up, and swung her legs around. She pulled herself off me, and fixed her outfit.

"I don't know, am I?"

Rachel simply shrugged and began to brush Chaya's bangs off her face.

Puck stormed down the stairs, grumbling loudly about Chaya jumping on the furniture.

"Oh, shit!" Puck leapt into the air with fright the moment he saw Rachel. "I completely forgot you were here."

Both Rachel and I caught onto why Puck was so embarrassed the moment we focused on the growing boy. He was in boxers, and that was it.

Chaya's hand slapped over her face in shame and disgust, while Rachel rubbed at the side of her face and laughed.

Puck darted out of the room, towards the kitchen then back up the stairs to his room, as quick as he could and Rachel slid onto the ground and leaned on my side.

"Well, we know something for sure."

Rachel looked up at the girl, who still hand her hands covering her eyes. "And what's that?"

"We're not dead. Noah's too badass to die." She spread her fingers so she could see Rachel, and smiled at the thought of her brother. "Or at least that's what he says."

The morning went without a hitch, as far as I could tell. The two girls had disappeared upstairs for a good part of an hour, and Chaya came back down showered and in her play clothes. Seeing how Rachel had already eaten, she gave Chaya the choice of what she wanted to eat.

It ended up being a bowl of grapes (which the girls shared) and some French toast. They were seated neatly in front of the TV, using me as a back rest as they tossed grapes into each others' mouths, watching That's So Raven reruns. Puck joined them about half an hour after the girls had entered the room, and he crawled onto me, sprawling himself out in a dramatic motion.

He didn't say anything, just nodding in Rachel's direction as if it were a proper form of greeting someone.

With ten minutes of grape tossing, Chaya took aim and missed Rachel's mouth, hitting her square on the chin. The grape bounced off and rolled away.

"I've got it, Chay. Stay here and count how many grapes are left."

Rachel stood up and chased after the grape which continued rolling.

"Noah?"

"Yeah, squirt?"

"Wanna hangout with me and Rach today? We're going to go to the park later, then come back for lunch. We're not sure what after that."

"I don't know, Chaya, I've got plans…."

Puck clenched his hands as he lied to his sister, and dug his nails into me.

"PLEASE! I'm begging. Rach is too little to push me on the swing set!"

Unclenching his hands, he sighed into my cushion, pushing his face deeper.

"I don't know, Chaya…."

He was secretly happy that his sister stood up quickly and crouched onto her knees (sending the grapes flying out of their bowl and rolling away!) into her usual I'm-begging-you!-please-do-this-for-me! pose, with her newly found puppy eyes.

Puck smiled once more, and turned his head slightly so he could see the familiar predicament his sister was in. He rolled his eyes and sat up.

"I guess so, but only if we get icecream before lunch!"

Chaya's eyes rounded into the size of dinner plates and she squealed.

"Oh my goodness!" Rachel came back into the living room, and stopped at the sight of about thirty grapes rolling around on the ground. "What happened here?"

"Noah said he'll join us, Rach. How awesome is that?"

Slouching a little, Rachel was visibly smaller at the thought of spending the day with Puck.

"Clean the grapes up, Noah, and Chaya and I will get ready for our outing. I suggest you find a cleaner pair of underwear-" Rachel pointed towards his boxers that were slipping out of the top of his jeans. I take notice. They're white with red boxing gloves on them. "-because you wore them all night and that's just not sanitary. I'd brush your teeth as well, to set a good example for Chay. Meet at the front door in, lets say, fifteen minutes?"

Puck grunted and lifted himself off the couch, and moved to collect the grapes. Rachel brushed past him in order to pick up the plate which had held the French toast, and she pushed him a little.

He stumbled and gripped my arms to stand.

Neither said anything, as if Rachel's angry nudge had spoke for both of them. She didn't want him to come with them, and he didn't want to do anything more than to irritate her.

000000

When they came back, it was a little past one and the whole house was littered with yelling.

"You didn't _have _to push me into the fountain!"

"You didn't _have _to pull me in!"

"You didn't _have _to push me down the slide!"

"You didn't _have _to pull me down too!"

"You didn't _have _to push me off the bench!"

"You didn't _have _to pull me off with you!"

Both preteens seethed as I surveyed them. Rachel was drenched, and refusing to remove any of her clothes, while Puck was almost dry because he had peeled away his top, leaving only his shorts on. Both had scrapes on their knees, Puck's worse than Rachel's. And both had an identical marking above their left eyebrows which had a crusty exterior.

Chaya looked happy enough, though, licking an icecream cone as she maundered herself past the two, and took a seat on my centre cushion.

"You didn't _have _to trip me and make me drop my cone!"

"Yeah, well, you didn't _have_ to smash mine into my hair!"

"You deserved it!"

"You deserved it more!"

Chaya finished the last of her snack and tossed the napkin onto the ground. She let herself sink farther down, in order to close her eyes at a more comfortable place.

"You-oh!" Rachel muttered as she clamped her mouth shut. She had her eyes glued to Chaya, who was half asleep and tugging at my folds.

Puck moved forward first, to slip his arms under his sister and settled her so she was lying down properly.

It was brotherly how Puck settled his sister so easily, and Rachel had to promise she wouldn't say anything to anyone. It was sisterly how Chaya gave him a cheek peck before she drifted off. It was babysitter-ly how Rachel made lemonade and cookies, and asked Puck to join her on the porch for a game of Crazy Eights.

I could see, and hear, them out of the window. They stayed out there until just before six, when Chaya woke dozily. As they had played, neither sat as far away as they usually did, and Rachel did end up letting her hair out of its braid in order to dry it, _not _because Puck stated several times that she should let her hair down.

"Hey squirt, how was the nap?"

Chaya pulled herself onto Rachel's lap and took her cards, as if she knew how to play.

"Splendid, although you guys kept waking me up with all that laughter. You're yelling puts me to sleep, and you're laughter wakes me up."

"Noted." Rachel said quietly, as if she were taking a pen and paper and writing down the moment.

"I wouldn't have laughed so hard if Rachel hadn't kept cheating."

"I wasn't cheating! I was winning fair and square, you are just a sore loser!"

Chaya shot her hand up before either could respond with another yell.

"I'm not tired, and I don't feel like sleeping! Can you please not fight?" She crossed her arms and threw the cards onto the table in a huff. "Can we get dinner going, though?"

"I was thinking takeout. You're mother left some money and I am a hopeless cook, besides my famous sugar cookies."

Puck snatched the last of the golden star shaped cookies, and Chaya simply pouted.

"There's more in the fridge. Grab them and the phone."

Chaya ran off into the house.

Rachel sighed as she shuffled the cards back into the deck, and pushed her hair back. Puck moved awkwardly, as he scratched the back of his calf. The sun was dancing atop the housetops, and a few fluffy clouds drifted by creating glimpses of shade.

"Uh," Puck began, collecting his words. "I'm sorry about all those things I did."

The cards sprung from Rachel's hands as the apology drifted by alongside the clouds.

"Did you seriously just apologize?"

"Don't tell anyone."

"Even if I did, no one would believe me."

Puck smirked and sighed happily.

"Today wasn't as horrible as I thought it was going to be." Rachel puttered about, once again, in hopes of sorting the cards out. "You were more civilized when we weren't in the public."

"Thanks?"

"It's a compliment, don't worry."

"Thanks."

Chaya ran out, clutching the try of stars, and a phone under her chin.

Rachel dialled the number swiftly, not missing a beat.

0000

One meat lover's large pizza, half a vegan medium pizza and half a Hawaiian pizza later, the three were flopped on top of me.

Chaya was in the middle, her eyes scrunching together in concentration, watching the habits of Lunette the Clown. Puck sat on her left, but was staring at Rachel, who was on her right.

They were in a conversation, debating whether or not their third grade teacher's hair had been real or not. (Rachel demanded that it just grew in an odd direction some days, while Puck called his bullshit.)

Seven fifteen, on the dot, Sarah flung the door open. She heard the normal ring of the TV, but the heated debated session was new. Neither of her children were well versed, but Puck seemed to be holding his place against the fiery, little diva.

Sarah really didn't want to break it up.

"I'm home."

Chaya gave a muted wave, not taking her eyes off the TV, while Rachel stood up and shushed Puck.

"Hello Mrs Pucker-um, Sarah. How was your day?"

"Long, sweetie, and yours?"

Rachel paused and her eyes darted from Chaya to Puck who had returned to his sprawled out position he had this morning, only this time he stared at the two talking stead of squishing his face into me.

"Productive, and welcoming. We had fun." Rachel pulled her backpack out from behind me, and she shook Mrs. Puckerman's hand firmly. "I must get going, my fathers will be expecting me home soon."

"Of course. Tell your fathers I said hello." Pulling out her wallet, Mrs. Puckerman handed Rachel the money, which both of them didn't dare look at. "Walk home safely!"

As Rachel made her way past their driveway, Chaya finally lit up with satisfaction.

"Our couch is way more big, and way more comfy than Lunette's Big Comfy Couch!"


End file.
